


Metamorphosis

by LadyLiberal



Category: One Piece
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Trans Character, Trans Vinsmoke Sanji, Transgender
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:20:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25894297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyLiberal/pseuds/LadyLiberal
Summary: In the two years she was separated from her crew, Sanji was able to reinvent herself. She was finally able to be the woman she always was inside but was never able to show to the world. Sanji felt like a new person, she just hoped it was one her nakama were able to accept.
Relationships: Roronoa Zoro & Vinsmoke Sanji, Roronoa Zoro/Vinsmoke Sanji
Comments: 15
Kudos: 132





	1. Prologue

Sanji will never forget the day he met his captain. One minute everything about his life had been normal and the next there was a hole in the ceiling of the Baratie. Not only that but the restaurant had been attacked by that Don Kreig guy and the same ball of rubber who caused them trouble, also saved the old man’s dream. Then there had been the warlord, Mihawk. Sanji knew he would never forget the sight of him using his huge, black blade against the green-haired swordsman. He would never forget the way his new crewmate lifted his treasured white katana into the air and promised Luffy he’d never lose again. Ever since that moment, Sanji always found himself getting angry whenever he interacted with the marimo.

Ever since he joined Luffy and his crew of misfits as the chef, Sanji has gotten into countless arguments with the guy. There was just something about him that annoyed Sanji to no end. He didn’t know what it was, but Sanji just could not _stand_ the guy. He was always working out on the deck with those huge weights, getting all sweaty and gross, then he has the audacity to walk into his kitchen and _steal_ his _cooking_ wine! Sanji constantly must remind him to take showers or wash his clothes. The guy was just disgusting! He chewed with his mouth open, drank booze straight from the bottle, and he always reeks of sweat!

He was currently lighting a cigarette; they were just leaving the island of Little Garden. Luffy agreed to help the beautiful blue-haired princess they met, and now there were two beautiful women aboard their ship: Nami and Vivi. Sanji couldn’t help but admire them both for their beauty and grace, not to mention their outfits as well. They are both gorgeous, have perfect bodies, and are incredibly smart.

There was a part of him that longed to be like them, to be able to sit together and talk about whatever it is girls talk about with each other. It is not like Sanji would know, he grew up on the Baratie with ex-cons and former pirates, he had always been the youngest on a ship filled with middle-aged men. The only women he was ever around were customers and the old man had taught him that ladies deserved special treatment for being the gentler sex. Because of that, and for his own reasons, Sanji has always treated women differently.

He could look at a woman and would immediately see their individual beauty. He didn’t just compliment women on a whim, he would tell them what exactly he liked. When he first met Nami, he remembers telling her that she had such a gorgeous hair color and it complemented her skin tone wonderfully. As for Vivi, he told her that she has one of the best facial bone structures Sanji has ever seen. Sanji loved women, he thought women were amazing, but men were a different story.

Men were gross. At least the men Sanji grew up around were. They smelled awful, many of them were bad news, and a lot of them didn’t treat women with even a fraction of the amount of respect they deserve. Men were scoundrels, pigs, and Sanji did everything he could to not be associated with the likes of them.

On the bright side, Luffy seemed to have a gift for judging someone’s character. None of the people on their ship were bad people. Usopp lies and makes shit up like it’s his job, but he has a good heart. Even Zoro, who irritates the fuck out of him, isn’t all bad. He has such a loyalty to their crew, determination and dedication to fulfilling his dream that it honestly shocks Sanji. Because it’s not normal for someone to act like such a jackass and at the same time always have his back in a fight.

The door to the galley opened and when Sanji turned around he was greeted by Nami, “Hi Sanji-kun.”

“Ah, Nami-san!” Sanji grinned at her as she walked further into the kitchen, then frowned when she noticed her flushed face, “Are you feeling alright? You seem flushed.

Sanji was already ashing his cigarette and pulling a glass from the top shelf of the cupboard he kept them in. He filled it with water and handed it to Nami, “Thank you. I do feel kinda hot, I suppose.”

By the time they reached Alabasta, Nami had nearly died, Sanji broke his back, Luffy saved another island from some bad guy, and they had a new crewmember on board the Merry. Initially, Sanji had planned on cooking the reindeer, but in the end he realized that Chopper was more valuable to them alive. After all, he was one of the people who helped save their lives, he was nakama.

Walking through the desert was a horrifying experience for Sanji, as it reminded him of his time on the rock. Oddly enough, the marimo was the one who helped him the most throughout the entire trek. He walked beside him, at whatever pace Sanji set, and stayed there. Occasionally, they would pass a canteen of water between the two of them, but the swordsman never drank very much and was surprisingly considerate towards him.

Now after everything that happened, from the moment they met Luffy’s older brother to Crocodile’s defeat, they were relaxing in the palace. Well, Sanji was relaxing in the palace while everyone else went to bathe in the palace bath house. He didn’t feel comfortable being naked around anyone and he was not interested in being in the same bath as his male crewmates.

That didn’t stop the damn moss-head from disturbing his peace. The man ended up finding him, dressed in what could only be new clothes and with his green hair still wet. “Hey, everyone’s finished up, bet you could have it all to yourself now,” he said what he said, then slipped out of the room, as if he was never there in the first place.

Sanji ended up using the place bath house that night, and he got it all to himself.

When Robin first showed up, Sanji didn’t know what to think. Initially he was a little worried because she had worked alongside Crocodile, but after she passed the magic test that was Luffy’s whim, Sanji planned on welcoming her to the crew with open arms.

He had told her that the color of her eyes reminded him of the sky. She had giggled and said, “Your eyes are beautiful as well, cook-san.”

Not everyone warmed up to the mysterious woman, though. Specifically, that stupid swordsman seems to distrust her. Sanji has no idea why, because if he was being honest, Robin’s the most intelligent person he has ever known. She had one of the most-useful Devil Fruit powers that Sanji could think of; (he couldn’t stop imagining how that would change the way he cooks). It also proved to be extremely useful when they needed to catch a South Bird.

After he freaked out about those bugs in front of the marimo, Sanji was certain the damn bastard would tease him for it. Only he didn’t. Instead, he sat down next to Sanji, hours after Luffy had taken off to get Cricket’s treasure back from the pirates in the village. “Do you think this sky-island is real?”

He turned to the swordsman and held his cigarette between his fingers, “Probably, I’m starting to realize nothing is impossible on this sea.” Sanji brought the cig to his lips and breathed in the smoke. After he blew it up towards the sky, he returned the question, “Do you think it’s real?”

When he turned to look at his rival crewmate, he saw the guy smiling at him as he simply told him, “I liked your answer.”

Sanji never gave much thought to whether or not there’s a god or gods, but after their time in Skypiea, he was starting to think Luffy was some kind of peacekeeper. He certainly was no god, he wasn’t totally invincible, although he _is_ the only person in existence who can resist _freaking lightening._ Since Sanji had been struck by Enel’s lightening, he can say from firsthand experience that it sucks. The fact it had absolutely no effect on Luffy’s rubber body had been a damn miracle. So yeah, Luffy wasn’t a god or anything, he was just the man who was going to become the Pirate King.

He was wrapped in bandages, enjoying not needing to cook for once, and relaxed as both Shandians and Skypieans celebrated in the centuries-old forest. Sanji was glad they were able to help these people. He was proud of his crew, proud of his captain. They had all been through so much, but they had done it together.

Growing up in North Blue, the story of Noland the Liar was one he knew well. He never liked the story very much and it turns out the true one was much better anyway. Hundreds of years later, ancestors of long-lost friends were able to hear the glorious golden bell of Shandora. It brought him some peace, knowing the truth of what happened, even if it was long ago.

There were many things for Sanji to be happy about. He got to cook food for his nakama, they had saved all these people, Luffy had given their friend Cricket closure. He got to go on adventures with people he cared about and every day he got closer to fulfilling his dream of seeing the All Blue.

So why, with everything he has to be grateful for, to be fortunate enough to have, did he feel so empty inside?

What was wrong with him that he felt like an outsider in his own flesh? Like he was living half a life because something wasn’t right about him? He didn’t feel normal, he felt as if he was pretending to be something he wasn’t. When he looked in the mirror it just felt wrong.

He didn’t know why he felt this way, he didn’t understand it. He was confused about why he was the only male on their ship that refused to wear nothing but underwear to sleep and always changed into a t-shirt and pajama bottoms in the bathroom, away from everyone’s eyes, before bed. He didn’t feel comfortable with anyone seeing him, he didn’t even feel comfortable looking at himself.

Sanji found his body to be disgusting. He felt like he was supposed to be as muscular as the moss-head because _that_ was what a man looked like. A man was supposed to be strong and muscular, but Sanji was thin and lanky. He hated how he looked, wished it were different, but the more buff he got, the worse he felt about himself.

Seemingly out of nowhere, the stupid algae appeared at his side, “Have you tried the spiked pumpkin juice yet?”

He rolled his eyes, “No, have you?”

The marimo shook his head, “I was gonna go try some.” There was a small pause before he asked, “Want to come with?”

He scoffed, “Only so you don’t get lost along the way.”

Sanji collected hundreds of pounds of the salt from Agua Laguna and got the swordsman to carry the ten, forty-pound bags into the pantry of their brand-new ship, the Sunny. Franky outdid himself with the entire ship, but the kitchen was exactly what he asked for. He was looking forward to working in this kitchen, excited to finally be working in a kitchen that he designed for himself. Franky even put in the liquor cabinet area away from the rest of the kitchen. Sanji liked the idea of not needing to be near or smell the marimo when he came in smelling of sweat and looking for booze.

“Need anything else carried in?” The swordsman asked with a bored expression.

“No, that was the last of it. I’ll probably end up rearranging some things, but for now it’s good.”

“Hey cook?”

He glanced over to his rival, “What?”

“Give me some booze—I don’t know where it is in here.”

Sanji clicked his tongue, “Do you think of nothing besides alcohol and swords? Honestly…” Still, he was already walking over to the liquor cabinet and searching for a bottle he didn’t care about to give to the guy for helping him out.

After he handed the bottle over to the marimo, he uncorked it with his teeth, spit it onto the floor, then chugged a quarter of the bottle right before his eyes.

“Ugh! That’s disgusting!” Sanji gave him an icy glare, no longer feeling grateful for the muscled man’s help.

The swordsman glared right back as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, “Chill out, it’s not like anyone else is gonna drink from it.”

“Yeah, not after your nasty mouth has been all over it!” Sanji spat back.

Greenie was beginning to turn red in the face as he raised his own voice, “Fuck off, cook! What did I do to you?”

The question caught Sanji off guard. He wasn’t sure if the guy actually wanted him to answer or not. As soon as he asked, he turned away and walked out the door, leaving Sanji all alone in his brand-new kitchen. Sanji was glad he didn’t stick around; he had no idea how to answer that question. It wasn’t like the swordsman had done something to Sanji, it was just—he didn’t know what to expect from the marimo.

No matter how much he tried, Sanji could never understand the algae. His moss-brain seemed to work in strange ways. He couldn’t figure out what he was ever thinking, couldn’t read his emotions and therefore assumed he never had any. It was frustrating to be around someone who was always so sure of themselves while he was a complete mess. They were the same age, so why was it that the _marimo_ of all people, could feel so content while Sanji spent every waking moment wondering what was wrong with himself?

After everything that happened on Thriller Bark, Sanji was experiencing more turmoil than ever. He couldn’t believe what the damn swordsman did. He nearly got himself killed! And for what? What could’ve possibly compelled the marimo to offer his life like that? To spare Sanji’s life? It didn’t make sense! They always had each other’s back in a fight, but this time it was different.

It didn’t make sense for the swordsman to offer his life like he did! As soon as Sanji said they would have to find a new cook, he had been knocked out cold. He knew he should just be grateful they were both still alive and on their way to the next island this sea threw at them, but Sanji felt a little betrayed. It felt as if his nakama didn’t trust Sanji’s own strength, like he didn’t believe he could handle it.

Even though Sanji knows deep down that he wouldn’t’ve been able to walk away from whatever happened between the marimo and Kuma, he didn’t want the marimo to die. He had been ready to give up his life to save the crew, he couldn’t think of a better way to go if he was being perfectly honest, but then moss-for-brains took it all for himself.

It’s already been a week, and he still hasn’t woken up. Sanji knows he will be furious once he wakes and realizes he hasn’t trained in over a week. The idiot will probably want to train as soon as he wakes up. He wanted to be there when he did, if only for the reason to feed him some real food.

The sight of the feeding tube, the repetitive beeps of the heart monitor, his body covered in bandages, all of it was wrong. It was a miracle the swordsman was alive at all, considering the state he had found him in. The man was covered in his own blood, standing in a pool of it even. Between those two options, he did prefer seeing him like this, laying in the infirmary covered in bandages.

Sanji ended up not being in the room when he woke up, he still brought him a bowl of soup as soon as he heard. He walked in as Chopper was reapplying his bandages, exposing the horribly bruised flesh of his torso. Even after having several days to heal, they were still a dark purple color, seeming to stand out more against his tanned skin than the white bandages.

“Oh, Sanji! Thanks for bringing that for Zoro!” Chopper turned his attention back to the swordsman, “You should eat the soup Sanji brought you as soon as I’m finished wrapping these bandages.”

“I woke up with tubes down my throat and all I get to eat is soup?” He grumbled, less than cheerful.

“You haven’t eaten solid food in over a week. It’s just for now,” Chopper calmly explained. Honestly, Sanji was glad he didn’t have to do it himself.

He didn’t have anything to say, so Sanji simply put the bowl of soup on the bedside table and left the infirmary.

Sanji awoke in a panic. He had to help his crew, his captain, the swordsman! When he observed his surroundings, he freaked out. He was in some sort of bubble, flying through the air! What was happening?!

They had been at Sabaody Archipelago, saving the beautiful mermaid Keimi from being sold at auction. Fuck—Luffy just _had_ to punch a Celestial Dragon _in the face,_ didn’t he? Still, Sanji didn’t regret what happened, at least not until they were all separated. He just hopes that everyone else is okay.

Maybe they all are in one of these bubble things. Sanji wishes they were all going to arrive at the same place, but something tells him if that were the case, he’d be able to see their own bubbles traveling with him. No matter what happens, Sanji will make sure he sees them all again.


	2. Reunion

Sanji had never felt so nervous in all her life than she did going back to her crew after two years apart. So much had changed since they had been separated on Sabaody. She was afraid of what they would think of her, now that she was a woman.

Well, she had always been a woman, just a woman trapped in a man’s body. Kamabakka Kingdom was both heaven and hell for Sanji. It was nice to be around men who treated her like a woman despite her biological gender, but she missed her nakama and the training was an absolute nightmare.

After she met Ivankov and learned of his Devil Fruit power, she begged him to change her. She unknowingly had spent her life living a lie and she finally had the chance to be truly free.

Every day since then has been like a ticking time bomb until she would finally return to her crew. The last time they saw her, she was still Blackleg Sanji, the Strawhat’s chef, one of the monster trio, a ‘womanizer.’ She had facial hair and a short haircut, the body and build of a man. She had been closed-off and reserved, hostile and volatile.

She hadn’t been able to be herself.

In the two years she was separated from her crew, Sanji was able to reinvent herself. She was finally able to be the woman she always was inside but was never able to show to the world. Sanji felt like a new person, she just hoped it was one her nakama were able to accept.

After saying goodbye to the men from Kamabakka Kingdom, Sanji began her journey to Grove 13. She imagined what each of the crew would say to her, Sanji suspected Luffy not to think very much of it since he’s met Ivankov and is Luffy. Chopper will probably insist on a check-up to make sure she’s healthy. Brook will ask to see her panties, no surprises there. Nami and Robin will complement her on her lovely outfit. Franky will be a pervert, Usopp will most-likely faint, and Zoro…well, Sanji had no idea.

In fact, Zoro was the one Sanji was the most nervous to see again. She could imagine everyone else’s reaction to her change in gender. But Zoro was always so hard for Sanji to read, she never understood him.

He would constantly give her shit for complimenting the girls, was insulting Sanji every chance he got, and they fought constantly. If it wasn’t for how reliable he was in a fight, Sanji probably would’ve kicked his ass overboard long before they even entered the Grandline.

But despite how frustrating and annoying as he was, Zoro was her closest confidant. He was always there watching her back, in and out of battle. Not a day went by in the last two years where Sanji didn’t miss his presence. It was terrifying, not to know if he would accept her like this, as herself.

She no longer felt the compulsive need to fawn over every woman she saw, because she no longer felt jealous of how they looked or got to dress. She no longer wanted to hide behind the thick layers of a suit and instead preferred sleek dresses that showed off her feminine curves. Sanji finally got to wear mascara, eyeliner, and lipstick. She felt confident, beautiful, and sexy.

Over the past two years she was able to completely focus on bettering herself. She became exactly the kind of woman she admired most, one who was in-control of her life and worked her hardest every day. Sanji had fallen in love with herself.

She had been so caught up in her head, that she didn’t notice the men catcalling around her. When she did notice, she hadn’t yet realized that _she_ was the one being catcalled. But before Sanji had the chance to retaliate, she felt someone grab her wrist and begin leading her through the crowd. She looked ahead to see who was helping her, a damsel in distress, and saw green hair.

Zoro had been walking down the street when he started to hear the men around him catcalling a woman with blonde hair and wearing a blue dress. When she turned her head and he got a look at her face, he immediately recognized the cook. Man or woman, he would recognize those indigo eyes and curly eyebrows every time.

There was little to no thinking involved when he pulled her away from the prying eyes of those pathetic men. He had no idea _how_ the cook became a woman, but Zoro did know one thing: that Sanji deserved to be treated better than that.

He led Sanji to the edge of the grove before letting go of her wrist and turning around to face her. Neither of them said a word. Zoro couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Sanji was really a woman—and a very attractive woman at that.

Zoro had no idea what to say, he was shocked to say the least. It would be more accurate to say his whole world had just turned upside down and he, Roronoa Zoro, had never felt so lost in all his life. He couldn’t believe that Sanji was a girl.

“How?” The one-word question finally escaped his mouth.

Sanji’s eye widened then she answered, “I met someone with a Devil Fruit who can change someone’s gender.” She broke eye contact with him, “I’ve always been a woman, so I asked him to change me.”

When she met his gaze again, Zoro could tell it was hard for her to say this to him. If his rivalry with Sanji had taught him anything, it was how to read her emotions. He nodded his head, “Okay, cook. I think I understand.”

She gave him a skeptical look, “Oh, really?”

“Yeah, it actually makes a lot of sense. Why you’re always staring at women and complimenting them, why you always make such a fuss about hygiene and cleanliness. Plus, you always would make sure we’re all fed and taken care of.” Zoro smiled at his crewmate, “You were a woman in a man’s body.”

After he said those words, he regretted it, because Sanji burst into tears. His whole body got tense and Zoro had no idea how to handle the situation. Then Sanji hiccupped out, “That’s—exactly what—it—fe-felt like.”

Zoro stared at her with his eye wide, then sighed, “Come here.” He held his arms out for Sanji to step closer so he could hug her. It was new territory for them, but it felt like the right thing to do.

When Sanji walked into his embrace, Zoro felt relaxed. She was shorter now, but not by much. He could smell the usual spices and cigarettes on her as well as some new flowery perfume. As he wrapped his arms around her, Sanji began to cry harder.

Two years ago, he probably would’ve told Sanji to suck it up and be a man, but now he realized how hurtful those words were to her. She’s always been a woman, but never truly got to _be_ one, or treated like one.

Zoro wasn’t the type of guy to treat people differently based on their gender, but Sanji was different. Sanji was his closest ally, his rival, his best friend. He would do anything for Sanji including giving up his own life and dreams. Zoro remembers that sick feeling he got when Sanji tried to sacrifice herself in Thriller Bark. He couldn’t let her do that, not when Sanji meant everything to Zoro.

Maybe it was because of that he realized he could be the one to treat Sanji like the woman she was. He began to rub circles on her back and softly whispered into her hair, “It’s okay, I’m here, I got you.”

He wasn’t exactly sure how long they stood there, hugging each other. Zoro never thought he and Sanji would be able to get along long enough for them to show any affection towards one another. In all their time sailing together, they never once hugged or did anything close to it. It was hard to believe that now, after being apart for two years, that was almost the first thing they did. No matter how strange it might be for him to be hugging his rival, Zoro found that it was not only comforting for Sanji, but for him as well.

For the past two years he had wondered where Sanji was and if she was alright. Zoro had been prepared to tease and taunt the cook until he got a chance to see if Sanji was any stronger. Instead he finds out something absolutely life-changing and personal. It made him feel some kind of deeper connection with her, like he had been wanting for so long.

Holding Sanji in his arms was doing things to him. And it certainly didn’t help that Sanji was clinging to him like a lifeline. He knew this was Sanji, there was no question in his mind, but she was different. She was no longer wearing the face of an angry teenage boy, pretending to be someone she wasn’t. Sanji wasn’t shying away from her emotions and instead let them be expressed. When he imagined meeting back up with their crew, he never pictured this, but he couldn’t have been happier.

Eventually, Sanji stopped crying and her arms loosened their grip around his waist. He took half a step back and felt himself smile. Without really thinking about it, Zoro brought his hands to her face and began to wipe the tears from her cheeks. He was so mesmerized by her appearance, the way she barely looked any different, except for the obvious femininity. Zoro pushed her silky blonde hair aside, like he’s always wanted to do, and got a good look at both of her curly eyebrows, side by side. When he finally looked into her indigo eyes, he realized how strange it was for him to be touching her like this.

Zoro took two steps back, “I’m sorry—I’m sorry I did that.”

Sanji shook her head and smiled, “It’s fine, just…different.”

He laughed gently, “Yeah, it is.”

Before they had the chance to talk more, they heard a loud explosion at a nearby grove. “Fuck, I bet that’s our idiot captain getting into trouble,” Sanji said, her voice practically dripping with fondness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!
> 
> I was going to wait a little while to post this next chapter, but after a couple of comments asking what exactly was going to happen to Sanji; was she going to be changed into a woman by Ivankov or not? I felt the need to post this one sooner than planned. So yeah, to clear up any confusion, Sanji is a female in this story. She was biologically born a male, but thanks to Ivankov's Devil Fruit she was able to transition into a woman. 
> 
> Initially when I started writing this I hadn't written the prologue chapter, but then I decided it was necessary to sort of kick-start the story. So yeah, the prologue is not like what the rest of the story will be, after reading this second chapter I am sure that is kind of obvious.
> 
> This first chapter after they are back together is quite short, but the next ones will be longer. I am going to try and space out updating future chapters, mostly just to try and prevent long periods where the story isn't updated. I feel like I'm really bad at that, so I'll apologize in advance if that ends up happening here.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what you think in a comment!
> 
> xoxoLadyLiberal


	3. Compliments

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to MentalMishap, Karma_Baskerville, Girenai, and A_wandering_girl for your lovely comments last chapter.  
> My apologies for the long wait, I hope you enjoy the latest chapter and if you so choose, read the notes at the end.  
> Without further ado: enjoy.

It wasn’t until they were finally descending towards Fishman Island that Sanji got a chance to relax. They had to fight their way off Sabaody and deal with that crew of imposters—it was insulting to be represented in such a way.

When it was all over and the nine of them were back on the Thousand Sunny, they spent a few hours catching up. She looked forward to seeing how much everyone’s skills have improved in their time apart. Sanji felt at home with her nakama, being back on Sunny.

Just as she hoped, no one was disgusted by her—it was more like the opposite. Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp all told her she looked pretty. Franky and Brook called her sexy. Robin and Nami gave her knowing smiles and invited her to stay in their room from now on.

She had missed her crewmates after being apart for two years, but it was still a little overwhelming to be around them all again. Sanji needed some time to be alone with her thoughts, so she found it in her kitchen, organizing their stores and creating an inventory for herself.

Her mind wandered back to when she and Zoro first met up on Sabaody. Sanji had felt so safe in Zoro’s arms that she completely let go of her bottled-up emotions. She never expected to have that kind of a reaction—for Zoro to comfort her or to burst into tears from it. This sort of thing never happened between them two years ago, they used to jump right into a fight when emotions were running high; they never held each other like that before. And she knew that Zoro wasn’t going to tease her about it later or hold this over her head.

The sound of the galley door opening then closing pulled Sanji from her thoughts. She looked up from her notepad and saw Zoro standing in front of the closed door, hand still on the knob. They made eye contact and that’s when Sanji noticed he seemed a little off, “Are you alright, marimo?”

His hand fell from the knob as he began walking in her direction. Zoro didn’t look like he wanted to fight, but there was something in his eye that told her to put her guard up. It simultaneously felt like forever and no time at all before Zoro had her cornered against the door to the pantry.

She could smell sweat, thick with Zoro’s natural musk, there was sake on his breath as he leaned closer to her face. Sanji was too shocked to move. She was about to be kissed by Zoro! At some point her eyes fluttered shut and the next thing she knew, Zoro’s breath was hot against her ear, whispering, “You are the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen and I’m sorry I never told you that before.”

Her heart was pounding in her chest, Sanji stared, wide-eyed at Zoro as he turned around and left the galley. She couldn’t believe what just happened! She thought he was going to kiss her! Instead Zoro had complimented her, told her he found her beautiful! As she continued her work in the kitchen, there was now an unmistakable grin plastered across her face.

Zoro left the galley in a hurry; he had done what he set out to do and didn’t want to linger around and face Sanji’s temper. After everyone else had been complementing Sanji, calling her ‘pretty’ and ‘sexy,’ Zoro just wanted to tell her what he thought. He figured nothing good would come from it, but at least she would know.

Yes, Zoro realized he didn’t need to tell her like he did, but it was so easy to know how Sanji would react—he simply could not resist the opportunity to get her worked up. Let’s be honest, if he was finally going to be truthful with her and risk getting his ass kicked, he wanted to make it worthwhile.

Besides, it was obvious how much Sanji enjoyed being complimented by everyone; her slight blush across her cheeks and her bright smile made that clear. She actually looked happy; it was something Zoro never remembered seeing before. Sure, Sanji used to smile at the girls when they would say something nice, but it was never like this.

To Zoro, it made sense. Of course, Sanji would be happy to be complimented on her appearance, the one that showed who she really was. As a man Sanji would always swoon over every beautiful woman they met, possibly because that’s how she wanted people to treat her. That meant it is also possible she wants someone to pamper her and treat her like a beautiful goddess. He was definitely _not_ going to turn into a bendy noodle by the mere presence of Sanji, but Zoro knew that if anyone in their crew deserved to be complimented, it was the cook.

Without realizing it, Zoro found himself standing in the aquarium, where he found Robin and Nami chatting excitedly. They turned to the door and Nami waved him over once she saw him, “Zoro, come here! We have a few things to ask you.”

He could already guess what they were going to ask him about but figured he would humor them since it has been so long since they had interrogated him like this. Zoro still sighed dramatically as he walked further into the room and took a seat near his crewmates.

The two women exchanged a look before Nami asked, “Well, what do you think about Sanji?”

Zoro rolled his eye, “What the hell do you think?”

“We think you’ve been appreciating the view,” Robin calmly said.

He could feel how warm his cheeks were as he tried to deny it, “I haven’t been doing anything different.”

Nami laughed, “Oh, we _know_. You used to check Sanji’s ass out as a man, too.”

He directed his glare at the younger woman, “Will you just shut up?!”

Robin gave him a scolding look, “Nami and I simply wanted to give you encouragement.”

Zoro stared at the two of them in shock, “I don’t think the cook is interested in me like that.”

“You’d be surprised,” Robin smirked at him knowingly and immediately Zoro thought of her Devil Fruit power.

Narrowing his one-eyed gaze, he asked, “What did you see?”

Nami tried to hide her laughter as Robin gave him the widest smile he’s ever seen cross her face, “It looked like you two were going to kiss, but instead you whispered something in her ear. Now I don’t know what you said, but it certainly made our cook’s day as she still has a smile upon her face.”

Zoro had been listening in horror, he hadn’t wanted _anyone_ to see that! But as soon as Robin finished, he was feeling a little relieved. Not because she had been watching his very private moment with the cook, but because he now knew she hadn’t been angry by what he said.

“Zoro, I have to know what you told her!” Nami was now kneeling in front of him, “I’ll lower your debt fifteen percent!”

She knew exactly what to offer him, Zoro just wished it wasn’t so damn embarrassing. He sighed in resignation, “Fine, I’ll tell you.” Zoro stared down at his hands as he murmured, “I told her she was the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen and said I was sorry I never told her before.”

For the next few moments no one said anything. It made Zoro nervous, so he finally looked up at the two women who were both staring at him like he had just said the sweetest thing in the world.

“Oh my,” Robin chuckled gently, “No wonder our cook looked so happy.”

Nami had tears in the corners of her eyes and wiped them away, “I can’t believe it! You finally told her how you feel!”

He scoffed, “That’s not how I really feel.”

Robin urged him on, “How _do_ you feel about her?”

Zoro gave her a serious look and put it in the simplest way possible, “I would die in her place.”

Both women’s jaws dropped, even Robin who was usually so composed stared at him in shock.

“Wow,” Nami finally spoke up, “I didn’t realize you were in love with her.”

“Wait, what?” Zoro quickly asked.

The two of them exchanged a look and Nami shrugged, “I mean, the way you are talking about her makes it seem like you are.”

He turned to Robin and saw she was nodding her head in agreement. Zoro relaxed in his seat, “Huh… I guess that makes sense. I missed everyone these past two years, but it was different with the cook. I thought it was because I missed the food at first, then I thought I missed our fighting, but then I realized I just missed being around and seeing her every day.”

“I think you should tell her,” Nami offered for advice.

Zoro laughed nervously and quickly shook his head, “She doesn’t like me like that.”

“Maybe she’s never thought you were interested in her?” Robin mused, “It’s possible that she’s never bothered to think of you romantically because you never showed any interest on the matter.”

Nami began nodding her head, “Yeah, I honestly thought that you were just interested in getting laid.”

He scowled at her, “It’s nothing like that! I just want her to be happy!” Zoro had enough of this interrogation and stood up, “I’m leaving.”

Zoro stormed out of the aquarium, ignoring Nami and Robin’s protests, then made his way above deck to the crow’s nest. He needed to clear his head, be alone in his safe haven. He needed to think things through; was it possible he was really in love with the cook?

As he climbed the mast, he realized the hatch was already open at the top. And once he poked his head into the room, he saw that Sanji was setting a plate of onigiri down at the table.

He stepped into the crow’s nest and closed the hatch with a loud clatter. Sanji jumped slightly at the sound, but when she looked up and saw him, she visibly relaxed, “Oh, it’s you.”

“What’re you doing up here?” He asked nervously. Zoro wanted to be alone with his thoughts, so he could think about Sanji, but instead he found himself alone with her.

She gestured to the plate of onigiri, “I figured you’d be coming up here soon and made you a snack.”

Why was she bringing him snacks? She usually only did that for the women; was it possible she was doing this because of what he said? Zoro knew he was blushing, he just hoped Sanji wouldn’t be able to tell with how dark it was being under the ocean’s surface. He made his way over to the plate of snacks and took one of the onigiri. Zoro stopped himself before taking a bite and turned to her with a smile, “Thank you.”

Sanji was surprised when Zoro thanked her for the food, he usually didn’t do that. Most of the time he’d just dig right in and say nothing. She usually would scold him for not having any manners and he would roll his eyes at her then speak with his mouth full.

“You’re welcome,” she smiled back.

She watched as he took a bite, closed his eye, and groaned, “Fuck, I missed your cooking.”

Never once had he complemented her food. He usually ate it, hiding his emotions as he did so, then tell her it was ‘edible’ or some other insulting bullshit. So this was different and she didn’t know what to think about it.

Sanji pulled out a cigarette and was about to light it up when she remembered they were in Zoro’s domain. For the first time ever she asked, “Do you mind?”

He was sitting at the table in the crow’s nest, contently eating the onigiri she made and shook his head. 

Taking it as the go ahead, Sanji happily lit her cigarette and took a long drag of smoke. She wasn’t sure what compelled her to leave snacks for Zoro, perhaps as a thank you for letting her cry in his arms. But now that she had, she didn’t know why she wasn’t leaving. Maybe it was because the marimo hadn’t asked her to, however if that was the case, why wasn’t Zoro asking her to leave yet?

She focused her attention to her crewmate and thought about what his training must’ve been like to end up gaining so much bulk. He had always been well-built, but now he was thick with solid muscle. He looked even more masculine, more handsome than he was two years ago.

Sanji flicked the ash from her cigarette before taking the seat across from Zoro and another lung-full of smoke. They were making eye-contact as she tilted her chin up and let out the breath of smoke. She raised her eyebrow and asked, “What?”

Zoro crossed his arms and clicked his tongue, “Nothing.”

Sanji could tell that there was something on his mind by the far-off look in his eye, but she knew there was no way of getting him to talk if he didn’t want to. It was always hard for her to tell what he was thinking, she assumed it had something to do with his poor social skills.

As she was finishing her cigarette, Zoro quietly whispered, “I missed having you around these past two years.”

His words surprised her, but Sanji tried to stay calm and dismissed him with a wave of her hand, “You just missed having good food.”

“Yeah, I did.” He was looking at her with some strange emotion in his eye as he went on to say, “But I also missed fighting with you by my side and getting into stupid arguments with you. I missed your company and I missed seeing you every day.” He paused before adding, “I missed the way your eyes light up when you talk about All Blue.”

She stared at him in shock for a few moments before hesitantly asking, “What are you trying to say?”

He scratched the back of his head and averted his eye, “I’m trying to tell you that I care about you…more than I care about everyone else.”

Sanji chuckled at him, “You’ve always been my best friend, I care about you, too.”

Zoro’s gray eye shot her a pained look, “You’re my best friend, too.”

She gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile, “Don’t worry, marimo, nothing has to change between us. Just because I’ve got tits now doesn’t mean you have to act differently around me.”

His gaze lowered to the table between them and he quietly said, “Maybe I want things to change.”

“Excuse me?” Sanji wasn’t sure she heard him properly, because there was no way he just said what she thinks he just said.

Zoro flicked his gaze back up to look her in the eye, “Maybe I want things to change between us. Maybe I don’t want to hide the way I feel about you—the way I’ve _always_ felt about you.”

Sanji took one last drag from her cigarette before putting it out on the bottom of her shoe. She put the filter back into her pack and set it down on the table. Their eyes met and Sanji asked seriously, “How _do_ you feel about me, exactly?”

“I’m in love with you.”

As soon as the words left his mouth and were out in the open, Zoro felt relieved. He had finally gotten up the nerve to tell her something he should’ve known and said over two years ago. Zoro had no idea how freeing it would be to tell Sanji how he felt.

“Oh, Zoro…” Sanji’s sad tone of voice and use of his name made him focus. “I don’t know what to say,” she told him with a frown.

He quickly shook his head and explained, “You don’t need to say anything. I understand that you don’t think of me like that, and I’m okay with it.” He took a deep breath, just to calm his racing heart and mind before saying, “I just needed you to know.”

Sanji stared back at him in clear shock, “Why are you telling me this now?”

He grunted, “Because I never realized it before.”

A moment passed before she quietly asked, “Did you feel this way when I was still a man?”

Zoro stared into her visible indigo eye and answered without hesitation, “Yes.”

For a moment, Zoro thought Sanji might freak out at him and yell, maybe kick him, but she did neither. All she did was softly sigh as she got up from her seat and grabbed the now-empty plate from the table. Her heels clicked against the Adam wood as she walked to the hatch, each step felt like it was crushing his chest.

When she bent down to open the hatch, Zoro tried to _not_ stare at her ass, covered by the tight fabric of her dress. He tried to _not_ be disappointed when she started to make her way down the ladder, ending their conversation. But before she closed the hatch, she turned to him one more time and said, “I’ll keep all this in mind and get back to you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!
> 
> My apologies for not posting anything in so long. My life has been cRaZy for the past few months, but especially in the past several weeks. I just turned 25 on Saturday (Oct. 17th) and to be honest, I wasn't sure if I would be alive this long. My mental health has been not so great, but I recently moved back in with my parents and my family is a good support system. Please do not worry, I am alright :) 
> 
> On a side note, if you live in the US and are eligible to vote make sure you do that, Election Day is Tuesday Nov. 3rd! Voting is important! Your voice matters! Your opinion matters! Your life matters!  
> For my International readers, if you can vote, vote.  
> In every election. No matter what is on the ballot. Inform yourself and cast your vote.
> 
> My dream is to have my name on a ballot one day. If I am dreaming really big, I want to become the first tattooed female president. Some people say that if your dreams don't scare you they aren't big enough. What are your dreams? Tell me in a comment :)
> 
> Anyway, if you've read this far, thanks for listening. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I am hoping it won't take nearly as long for me to update this again. I would love to hear your thoughts on Zoro and Sanji's relationship. Or any feedback at all :) Kudos are great as well <3
> 
> I wish you all well in this mysterious year!
> 
> xoxoLadyLiberal

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone!
> 
> This is something I've been working on for quite some time. I initially saw it as a two-part thing, but it's going to be a multi-chapter fic. Hope you enjoyed reading it so far, let me know in a comment!
> 
> xoxoLadyLiberal


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